US Troops Killed in Kuwait Port Strike 03/04 06:18

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- An operations center targeted by an Iranian drone strike 
that killed six American soldiers on Sunday was located in the heart of a 
civilian port in Kuwait, miles away from the main Army base, according to 
satellite images and a U.S. official.

   The husband of one of the slain soldiers, who was part of a supply and 
logistics unit based in Iowa, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the hub 
was a shipping container-style building and had no defenses.

   The development, reported earlier by CNN and CBS News, raises questions 
about the safety precautions that the U.S. military had in place as it, along 
with Israel, launched an attack on Iran, which has responded with retaliatory 
strikes against several countries in the region, including Kuwait. President 
Donald Trump and top defense leaders say more American casualties are likely.

   Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the six soldiers were killed 
in a "tactical operations center" when a projectile made its way past air 
defenses. A day later, the Pentagon confirmed it was a drone strike in Port 
Shuaiba when announcing the names of four of the soldiers who were slain.

   A satellite image taken Monday and reviewed by the AP showed the main 
building in the complex destroyed, with a trail of black smoke rising from it. 
It is located in the heart of Port Shuaiba, a working seaport and industrial 
area just south of Kuwait City. The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of 
anonymity to discuss a matter under active investigation, confirmed the image 
depicted the location of Sunday's attack.

   The Army base, Camp Arifjan, is more than 10 miles to the south. The 
operations center was just a little over a mile from some of the piers where 
merchant ships would offload cargo containers and was surrounded by oil storage 
tanks, refineries and a power plant.

   Joey Amor, husband of Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, said his wife was moved 
off-base to what he described as a shipping container-style building a week 
before the Iranian strike. The 39-year-old from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was 
one of the soldiers killed in the attack.

   "They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on 
was going to get attacked, and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in 
separated places," he said.

   After news reports about the operations center emerged, chief Pentagon 
spokesman Sean Parnell said on social media that the "secure facility was 
fortified with 6-foot walls." He said the military has "the most extensive Air 
Defense umbrella in the world over the Middle East right now and control of the 
skies is increasing with every wave of airpower."

   Parnell's office did not respond to questions about what role the walls 
would have played in defending against a drone attack or what air defenses were 
present in range of the command center at the port.

   Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said "it would be 
inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation."